Tractor



(No Model.)

G. H. EDWARDS.

TRACTOR.

No. 425,665. Patented Apr. 15, 1890.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE H. EDWARDS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

TRACTOR.

' SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 425,665, dated April 15, 1890.

Application filed July 11, 1889. Serial No. 317,245. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE H. EDWARDS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chi cago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Tractors, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to tractors involving an endless slatted belt or track which is provided along its inner side with a folding truss and arranged to pass about a set of truckwheels, whereof one or more of the wheels are geared to the endless track and one or more of said wheels driven from an engine or other suitable motor,,so that during operation the wheels may roll upon an endless track, which, by reason of the jointed folding truss, will throughout its lower leaf be rigid as against upward pressure, and hence provide a broad area of bearing-surface which will lie upon the ground and sustain the weight, which will be distributed throughout said area of the lower leaf.

The object of my invention is to provide a truss for the aforesaid purpose with means for adjusting the extent to which the truss can unfold, and thereby hold the track rigid as against pressure in one direction on a curve of any desired radius.

In carrying out my invention I apply to the endless track a folding truss in which the inner chord is adjustable in length, as hereinafter more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents in elevation a pair of wheels with an endless trussed track embodying my invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a plan view of a portion of the truss. Fig. 3 represents in perspective and on a larger scale a portion of the truss.

A indicates an endless slatted track, and B B a couple of wheels,which are understood to be geared to the said endless track in any suitable way. The strut-braces C are flanged at their outer ends, so that they can be bolted to the slats of the endless track, and their said flanged portions are suitably hinged together. The strut-braces can each consist of a pair of flanged plates, or the two plates herein shown can be made in one piece. The chord-links D of the inner chord consist of rods which extend through holes in the inner ends of the strutbraces, said holes being made flaring at their ends to permit the folding action of the truss to take place along such portions of the endless track as may be passing about the Wheels.

Each rod or chord-link D is provided with a nut at one or both ends, it being observed that where a rod has but one nut fitted to one of its ends the opposite end can be provided with a head, as best shown in Fig. 3, wherein the chord-link (more fully represented) has at one end a head d and at the other end a nut d, which is held from working off the rod by a lock-nut (1 Each strut-brace is connected with the next succeeding strut-brace by one of these chord-links D, so that each strut-brace will also be connected with the preceding strut-brace by a like chord-link, it being understood that a strut-brace may include either a solid piece or two plates arranged side by side, as herein shown. By adj ust-ing the said nuts the extent to which the truss can unfold may be determined. It is also understood that for the broader purpose of my invention I can in place of the rods employ chains attached to the strut-braces by adjustable connections, as in my application of even date herewith.

\Vhat I claim as my invention is- 1. The combination, with an endless track, for the purpose set forth, of a folding truss having an adjustable inner chord, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with an endless track, for the purpose set forth, of a folding truss comprising the rods connected with the strutbraces and nuts adj ustably held on said rods, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

GEORGE H. EDIVARDS.

Witnesses:

OHAs. G. PAGE, A. COATES. 

